Ballast removing apparatus



May 12, 1953 E. M. THORNLEY BALLAST REMOVING APPARATUS Original FiledMay 2, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. Edwinm. Thornlgy BY flTTO/ZNEYSMay 12, 1953 E. M. THORNLEY BALLAST REMOVING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Original Filed May 2, 1944 ATTORN Y:

Reissued May 12, 1953 e UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 23,655 BALLASTREMOVING APPARATUS Edwin M. Thornley, J oliet, 111.

Original No. 2,463,499, dated March 1, 1949, Se-

rial No. 533,806, May 2, 1944. Application for reissue February 2'7,1951, Serial No. 213,030

19 Claims. (Cr er-104) Matter enclosed in heavy brackets reissuespecification;

In replacing rail in railroad track, it is often desirable to use thesame ties and an adzing machine is commonly used for stripping fromtheold tie any irregularities left by the old rail and providing a fiatsurface for the tie plate which is now usually placed between the railand the tie whether or not one had previously been used. Heretofore ithas been the practice to remove the ballast manually from the vicinityin which the adzing blades will be operating. It is a very slow andtedious job to remove the ballast in this way. If it is not removedadequately, the adzing blades may strike 'a stone and not only causeinjury of the blade but perhaps also throw the stone at high speed andpossibly injure a. workman or bystander.

According to the present invention, the slow and tedious manual removalof ballast and the danger of removing it inadequately are avoided by theprovision of a ballast removing machine. The machine is simple in bothconstruction and operation. It runs and is nearly balanced on one railand includes a motor driving a digging wheel which is spaced the rightdistance from the rail on which the machine is movable so that when themachine is rocked on the rail to press the wheel down against theballast, the ballast will be removed at the right position for theadzing of the tie to receive the other rail. The digging wheel removesthe ballast so quickly and easily that there is no tendency for anoperator to stop the operation too soon with danger of inadequateballast removal. The digging wheel is designed to fit close beside theties and is of a sufficient diameter to clean the ballast from along asufficient length of the tie for safety without being movedlongitudinally of the tie and without being pressed unreasonably deeplyinto the ballast.

Additional objects and advantages will be apparent from the followingdescription and from the drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective viewof the apparatus chosen for illustration of the invention; and 1 Fig. 2is a plan view thereof, both views being drawn approximately to scale,but being perhaps somewhat diagrammatic as to details.

A preferred form of the invention has been chosen for illustration anddescription, in compl'iance with section 4888 of the. Revised Statutes,-but persons skilled in the art will readily perceive other means foraccomplishing the same results, and the claims are, therefore, to beconstrued as broadly as possible, consistent with the prior art.

.It is believed that the general nature of the al pl ars in the originalpatent but forms no part of this matter printed in italics indicates theadditions made by reissue.

invention will be most readily apparent from Fig. 1 from which it isseen that a motor I l drives a digging wheel I 2, both of which arecarried by carriage 13 which is movable along rail 14 and can be rockedthereon to lower the digging wheel l2 into the ballast adjacent a tie Hito dig the ballast therefrom at the vicinity of the position in whichanother rail of the track is to be laid. The digging wheel l2 iscentered about 61 inches from a point on or above the center-line ofrail I4. The digging wheel 12 throws the ballast against a shield H fromwhich the ballast drops into a pile just far enough away from thedigging wheel |?..so that it will not roll back into the hole that isdug.

Carriage I3 is provided with handles [8 by which the carriage may berocked and moved along the. rail [4 for ease in rocking the carriage andso that the operator will be in a position to see exactly what thedigging wheel I2 is doing the handles l8 are approximately in theposition shown.- In order that force applied to the handles I8longitudinally of the rail 14 to move the carriage along the rail willmove the carriage smoothly in spite of being applied at a substantialdistance from the rail, the wheels are preferably spaced a substantialdistance apart being carried by an underframe 2| on which the main frame22 of the carriage is mounted. A spacing of the wheels of 45 inches hasbeen found satis factory. A-brac'e 23 makes the structure more rigidthan would otherwise be the case. The wheels Mare flanged on both sidesof the rail, 1 inch flanges having been found satisfactory.

It is desirable to have the carriage I t so unbalanced that the diggingwheel I2 will tend to rise. To this end, the engine II is mounted withits center of gravity to the rear of rail l4, that is, farther fromwheel 12 than the distance from wheel I2 to a plane through wheels I?!and perpendicular to frame 22. A basket 24 is removably secured to thecarriage l3 and adapted to carry scrap. metal or other balancing weightsto compensate for any inaccuracy in the positioning of motor I l orvariation in the weight of fuel carried. It may be found that the basket24 may be omitted as well as not if the motor is more carefullypositioned'and the fuel tanks centered.

i Conveniently the basket 24 maybe supported by extensions resting ontubing 25 welded to frame 22, and extending slightly under truck 2|. Themotor ll I-drives-a pulley 26 which in turn drives a sprocket wheel.21,- both the pulley 26 and the sprocket wheel 21 being fast on shaft 28which is suitably journalled to the carriage 13. The

Sprocket wheel 21 drives chain 29 which drives sprocket wheel 3| whichin turn drives digging wheel l2, both being fast on shaft 32 which isjournalled on carriage 13. The motor II is of ourse provided withqa su ethrottle and sp il; control means and with either .a ,clptch or a belttightening lever 33. In the illustrated form,'the lever 33 slides theengine ll rearwardly on its mounting to tighten the engine pulley 34against the belt to start the driving of the l2.

It is desirable for the operator to face 'inth-e direction in which themachine &5 and yet it is desirable not 11 9 mm jecting where they arenot being ingly, the handles I8 are slidable within-tubes 31 so thatthey may project on either s'ideoi' the meowe being reta ned in. thosited position y p ns 38. In like manner, it will be materialist tubes39 are provided on the underframe or truck: 2| and at the rear end offrame 122 into which handlesmaybe inserted for lifting the apparatusfrom the rail. It is important' to be one to ree move the entireapparatus easily from jthe'ltreck for-the passage oftrains.

The lower part WI of the guard n is pretax ably flenible (desirablyrubber) zso that obst'rncs tions will not prevent pressing the diggingwheel '12 sufficiently deeply into the 'belllast to remoye the ballastalong asufiicient length of the tie fli to :get it entirely clear in Ithe vicinity "of "the adzing. *Howeven'the digging wheel if! is o flargeenough diameter so that it does not 'hsrve 'to be pressed excessivelydeeply or-steeply ilnto the bell.- last in order to clear a'suflicientlengtho f the tie adjacent the top thereof A wheel 24=in0hes in diameterincluding "2 inch' lugs has been fcund satisfactory to prepare for anedging machine having a 1:3 inch head. For a "'17 inchcutting head thelugs or=teeth are desirably-'4 inches long and the wheel 27 inches inoutside diameter. One consideration that seems *importa-nt is that theteeth "be approximately as long as the depth of digging at least alongtheir sides, *sothewheel may be moved laterally after being shoved down.As to the size of "the wheel *it seems -at present to be important to'clear a dong-enough *h'olie'by the time the wheel ihasburied of *itslcircumference, when the teeth on one side would 'i-be moving downwardlyat about 'a 45 angle. :A Width of 4 inches :has also been found'rsatisfac tory for wheel i2, although the width is probably notimportant since the digging wheel Fis p ss d own djace on ie "to the dered depth and then the carriage pushed {along the rail until the diggingwheel comes "tothenext tie, 'thus cleaning out a-'zone jex tendingfromone e D the next.

An additional shield :93 is provided above ithe digging wheel as clearlyillustrated n Fig. k

This may generally bexmade of 78inch orithinner sheet iron welded torods '4 !*vl/hichjin"turn are welde'd'to braces 46.

The .various journal boxes 8 mayhe iQf an desired .form, having eitherjournal type prg'antifriction bearing T efera l each or hese i providedwith suitab e .oilsu ply m ans and 1 this comprises .a tube such as thetube '43, it is preferred that a protectivebaril belmovided'as shown"top ot ctth oil tubcff om dams .elthoueh a wide varletyoi dissing-wh end tooth shap s an he .used, the illustrated rm has been (foun t bevery-"sat sfact y. As th teeth wear d wathey can bermnewed hy Wi de inThe' heavvbraceii ooth const uction il ustrated is preferred to a simpleunbraced construction for durability particularly in resistingdeformation when a rock is struck which is relatively firmly positioned.As illustrated, the teeth comp ise o legs which may b furth r bracedibyfla s sak A speed of about 700 R. P. M. has "been found to besatisfactory for digging wheel I2.

It is believed that details of construction not fare asufficiently clearfrom the drawings-alone. Box 60 is for a battery for engine I l. Fromthe foregoing, it is seen that a simple machine is provided which ishighly satisfactory 'ri firlflmgv ng-hallast from adjacent a tie to becent-a tie along the portion thereoi to be adzed comprisinge carriage,Wheels supporting the carclose andadap'ted to on a mail, a prime -moverarried by the --carriage, a digging -wheel driven by ithe prime moverand carried (by the carriage .atgipositiomspaced from said wheels atapproximately the; proper spacing for theraiil-s lot a track andprojecting downwardly from the carriage so thatiit may pressed into :the(ballast adjacent the Etie iby rocking 'dlhe carriage on the .raii, anda guard-aligned with said wheel in :the direction toward which it willithrow the ballast and disposed to drop the ballast thrown from #thewheel approximately :at tthe ends of dahe ties, said wheel {having@projoctions ithereon adapted to engage the ballast andithrowitatothaguard.

' 2. hpparatus'ifor removing ballast from adja cent Ia, tie along itheportion thereof .to Flee adzed comprising g1, carriage, lwheels.supporting the :car-

' riageandzadapted itOJSllIl' on ;a:rail, a prime mover carried by themarriage, ;a dig ing Wheel driven by Lit-he prime mover and carried bythe carriage at la "position spaced from the line .of said wheels andprojecting l downwardlyfrom :the carriage so that fit may be pressed:into :the ballast adjacent lliheillie byzrocking the carriage LOH therail, and a -guard aligned with said wheel ;-in the direction towardwhich :it will i'llhlOW -llhe ":ballast but a slit- 'fidl'efll; distance:fromthe digging wheel :so that "the Eballast thrown by ithe wheel willdrop a desired position zand :not :roll ibaci: into the hole ..-dug byithe wheel, said wheel Shaving projections thereon adapted itoeengagze:the ballast and throw it toithegllard.

B. Apparatus-forremoyingballast from adjacon-tatie along :the portionthereof to be adzed comprislngaa-earriage, wheelsisuppcrtihg thecarriageand adapted to run on a ii,za primemcver carried iby the carriage, a digrig wheel driven by *the prime -mover 'and carried by a the carriage.ate. positionspaced from said wheeisat approximatoly'lthe proper spacing*for the. rails cji a track and projecting downwardly from the carriageso.

that it max/ mpressed into the ball-astadlaQent the -tie by rocking thecarriage :on :the rail, sand ,aguard aligned-with said wheel in thedirection toward which it will ithIOW .the :ballast :but a sum.- cieritdistance tram the digging heel so the ballast throwmby the wheel= will.drop in desired position and mot roll :back into athe hole dug by thewheel, said wheel having projections thereon adapted to engage theballast and throw it tothe guard and being of a suflicient diameter sothat with approximately three-fourths of the circumference abovethe-ballast, it will clean the ballast from a sufficient length of thetie adjacent the top thereof for the adzing operation.

4. Apparatus for removing ballast from adjacent a tie along the portionthereof to be adzed comprising a carriage, wheels supporting thecarriage and adapted to run on a rail, a prime mover carried by thecarriage, a digging wheel driven by the prime mover and carried bythe-carriage at a position spaced from the line of said wheels andprojecting downwardly from the carriage so that it may be pressed intothe ballast adjacent the tie by rocking the carriage on the rail, and a.guard alignedwith said wheel in the direction toward which it will throwthe ballast but a sufiicient distance from the digging wheel so that theballast thrown by the wheel will drop in a desired position and not rollback into the hole dug by the wheel, said wheel having projectionsthereon adapted to engage the ballast and throw it to the guard; saidcarriage being so unbalanced that it normally rocks in a direction toraise the digging wheel.

- -5. Apparatus for removing ballast fromladjacent a, tie along theportion thereof to be adzed comprising a carriage, wheels supporting thecarriage and adapted to run on a rail, a prime mover carried by thecarriage, a digging wheel driven by the prime mover 'and carried by thecarriage at a position spaced from said wheels at approximately theproper spacing for the rails of a track and projecting downwardly fromthe carriage so that it may be pressed into the ballast adjacent the tieby rocking the carriage on the rail, a guard aligned with said wheel inthe direction toward which it will throw the ballast but a suiiicientdistance from the digging heel so that the ballast thrown by the wheelwill drop in a desired position and not roll back into-the hole dug bythe wheel, said wheel having projections thereon adapted to engage theballast and throw it to the guard, and means for counterbalancing thecarriage to normally rock it toward a position in which the diggingwheel is raised.

6. Apparatus for removing ballast from adjacent a tie along the portionthereof to be adzed comprising a carriage, wheels supporting thecarriage and adapted to run on a rail, a prime mover carried by thecarriage, a digging wheel driven by the prime mover and carried by thecarriage at a position spaced from the line of said wheels andprojecting downwardly from the carriage so that it may be pressed intothe ballast adjacent the tie by rocking the carriage on the rail, aguard aligned with said wheel in the direction toward which it willthrow the ballast but a suiiicient distance from the digging heel sothat the ballast thrown by the wheel will drop in a desired position andnot roll back into the hole dug by the wheel, said wheel havingprojections thereon adapted to engage the ballast and throw it to theguard, and handle means adjacent the digging wheel including a hollowmember mounted on the carriage and a bar insertable in said member toproject in either direction transversely of the carriage andlongitudinally of the rail so that the operator may stand on either sideof the carriage depending on which way he desires to move the carriage.

7. Apparatus for removing ballast from adjacent a tie along the portionthereof to be adzed comprising a carriage, wheels supporting the car- 6riage and adapted to run on a rail, a prime mover carried by thecarriage, a digging wheel driven by the prime mover and carried by thecarriage at a position spaced from the line of said wheels andprojecting downwardly from the carriage so that it may be pressed intothe ballast adjacent the tie by rocking the carriage on the rail, aguard aligned with said wheel in the direction toward which it willthrow the ballast but a suiiicient distance from the digging heel sothat the ballast thrown by the Wheel will drop in a desired positionandnot roll back into the hole dug by the wheel, said wheel havingprojections thereon adapted to engage the ballast and throw it to theguard, and handle means adjacent the digging wheels; said running wheelsbeing flanged on both sides of the rail and being widely spaced alongthe rail whereby movement of the carriage by force applied adjacent tothe digging wheel will move the carriage smoothly along the rail.

8. Apparatus for digging ballast comprising a rockable carriage, meanssupporting the carriage for movement along a railroad traclcway in adirection transverse of the ties, a prime mover carried by the carriage,and digging means driven by the prime mover including a wheel carried bythe carriage and rota-table about an axis generally horizontal andperpendicular to the planes of the sides of-the ties, and spaced,sturdy, rockdigging teeth [with complete clearance therebetween] movingaround the axis of the wheel and [supported by] receiving support fromsaid wheel, having faces, ofsubstantial area [extent radially beyond anytooth connecting means], facing generally forwardly in the direction ortheir motion around the axis of the wheel, having complete clearancebetween the teeth upwarclly from the path of their tips a substantialextent and following a path of movement in a plane parallel to the sidesof the ties adapted to extend into and out from the ballast bed betweenthe ties of a railroad track, said digging means being so constructedand rockable with the carriage as to be adapted while in operatingcondition with the machine running to move down into ballast in thespace between ties, clean the ballast from adjacent one tie, and then bymovement of the carriage transversely of the ties move through theballast, digging the ballast away as the movement continues, to anotherposition adjacent the next tie, and clean the ballast from adjacent thenext tie; said teeth being exposed for digging from each side with theexposed and generally forwardly facing portions of the sides extendingoutwardly far enough {beyond any portion of the wheel therebetween} toenable the [wheel] digging means to dig its way [axially] throughballast in either direction transversely of the ties, and the diggingportions of the teeth lying within a zone approximately four inches inwidth.

9. Apparatus for digging ballast comprising a rockable carriage, meanssupporting the carriage for movement along a railroad traclcway in aiircction transverse of the ties, a prime mover carried by the carriage,and digging means driven by the prime mover including a wheel carried bythe carriage and rotatable about an axis generally horizontal andperpendicular to the planes of the sides of the ties, and spaced,sturdy, rock-digging teeth moving around the axis of the wheel and[supported by] receiving support from said wheel, having faces, ofsubstantial area [extent radially beyond any tooth connecting means],facing generally forwardly in the di-'- tection of their motion aroundvthe axis of the wheel and following a path of movement .in a planevparallel to the sides of the vties adapted to extend into and out fromthe ballast bed between the ties of a railroad track, said digging meansbeing .so constructed and rockalole with the carriage as to be adaptedwhile in operating condition with the digging means .rZr/ioen by theprime mover to move down into ballast in the space between ties, cleanthe ballast from adjacent one tie, and then vloy movement of the car.-riagc transversely .of the ties move through the ballast, digging theballast away as the movement continues, to another position adjacent thenext tie, and clean the ballast from adjacent the next tie; said teeth,within vo zone of a width substantially less than the ordinary space between Eties, each having a forwardly directed digging face exposed allalong the bottom thereof and upwardly along each .side at least twoinches to enable the {wheel} digging moons to dig its way [axiallyjithrough ballast either direc tion transversely of the ties.

10. Apparatus for digging ballast comprising a rockable marriage,running wheele supporting the carriage and adapted to run on a rail, aprime mover carried by the oarriage, and digging means driven :by theprime mover including a wheel carried by the carriage and rotatableabout an axis genereliy horizontal and parallel to the rail Zone, andopened, sturdy, Infi l-digging teeth moving around the axis of the Wheeland [supported by] receiving emzrport from wheel, having faces, ofoufbetantial 'oreo [extent radia y yond any tooth connecting means}, i?eml y fo wa dly in the direction of the manor-. a ound th ax of he w eeland icll wl e p h of movement in a plane porgaliei to the sides the tiesadapted to extend into and out from the ballast bed between the ties ofa railroad track, said digging means being so constructed and rockablewith the carriage as to be adapted while in operating condition with thedigging means driven by the prime mover to move down into ballast in thespace between tie-s, clean the ballast from adjacent one tie, and thenby movement of the vcarriage transversely of the ties move through theballast, digging the ballast away as the movement continues, to anotherposition adjacent the n x tie, and clean the ballast from adj n the nexttie; ea'id teeth /6h having a forwardly directed di ing face exposed allalong the bot? m th reof and upwardly along each side at least twoinches to enable the {wheel} digging means to dig its way {axially}through ballast in either direction transversely of the ties, each toothbeing as wide adjacent the bottom as the maximum width of the tooth atany point not over two inches thereabove, but the teeth at their bottomsspanning a width substantially less than the ordinary space betweenties, and said can riage being suitably bale-need and carrying suit-,ablelhandleo for being pushed along the track and rocket} t lower thedi ging means beside each tie by one man positioned approximately at theside of the di ging means and, remote from the rockinc-owl's.

11. App ratus for digging ballast comprising a rcekable carriage, mean-ssupporting the carriage for movement along a railroad trochway in adirecztion transverse of theties, a prime mover can: cried by the carrige and digging means driven by the primemover including a wheel carriedby the carriage and rotatable allow: an axis gem orally horizontal andperpendicular to the planes gen- of the wider of the ties, and spaced,otter-do, rockdioyiny teeth {moving around the ants of the wheel andreceivinyrsupnort from we wheel, hanz'no faces, of substantial area,facing generally forwardly in the dir ct on of their motion around h xof the wheel, having complete clearance between the teeth upwardly fromhe oath of their tins a onbstontial extent and following a mothofmooement a niche parallel to the sides of the has adapted :to extendinto and out from the ballast bed rlzetween the ties of a railroadtrash, mid dig ing means being so constructed and-rookable with thecarriage as to be adapted while in omem'tin condition with the machinerunning to move :down into ballast in "the .spoce between :ties. clean"the ballast nomad-meant one tie, ondrhcn by mozzement of thecorriageirans, versely of .the :ties move through the .bozlastrdig oinythe ballast away as the movement oontinues, to ano her position adjacentthe next tie, and ciean the ballast Iromodiacent the next tie: .saiclteeth being emflosed ,ior' digging from each side with the emposed andgenerally riorwardly moino portions of sides -.e.rten;i.ing outwardly{or enough enable the digging means to dig its way through ballast ineither direction transversely of the ties and the teeth collectivelyhavmy a span aeross their bottoms as great as at any point wi-tijrin:two inches ihereolzovc but snosmntiofly lees than the ordinary spacingbetween ties, and :said carnage carryin suitable handle means remoteirorm the running wheels and beside the earrin s inwardly of its endremote from the running wheels for being washed along the track by ones'rnaneand being suitably balanced "to be quickly roote to lower thedigging means in the successive emcee between t fifi.

.12. Apparatus for di ing ballast oomprieiny a rochable carriage, m anssuppo i g the cor rings f r movement along a railroad track-way in adirection transoerseoj the tie-5,11 orime mover carried bythe-eanr-iaoe, end-digging means driven by th rime mover including .awheel carried by the carriage-and rotatable abou onocis generallyhorizontalondrBroendiQuZer to the planes of the sides or the ties, andspaced, sturdy, roekniigomy th movi g around th noise; the wheel morecoining support from mid wh l, hai ngufmces of substantial aarea, racinggenerally inwardly in th direction of their around the am of the wheel,having compl te clearance between the eeth upwardly fromhe oathof theirtips a sub stontiez eastentami fol owing-o oath of movement in a planeparallel-to the sides of the adapted o extend into and out from theballast bed be tween the ties of to railroad -,t-r-.ac o, said diggingmeans bein so constructed and e ch ble h -.corriage or to be adoptedwhile in operati ondition the machine run ing :to mono down into ballastin the space between tie 01911.11, the ballast from adjacent one he. andthen by movement of the earrings transversely of vthe ties move throughthe balluot, digging the ballast way as the continues, to anotherposition colaorient :the next tie, and elean the ballast from adjacentthe next tie; said teeth being exposed for digging gram each with theexposed and genera ly forwardly memo oertions of the sidesextending.ouiiwo lyiarrenongh to nahlevthe dig in means to -digits waythrough ballast in .either di ection :tronsvereelyoj the tier and theteeth collectively having a open across their bottoms as reat as at anypoint w thin two inches rtiuareahmze but substantially less than theordinary spacing between ties, and said cor;-

9 riage carrying suitable handle means remote from the running wheelsand beside the carriage in wardly of its end remote from the runningwheels for being pushed-along the track by one man and being suitablybalanced to be quickly rocked to lower the digging means in thesucces'sive'spaces between ties, and a guard aligned with said wheel inthe direction toward which the digging means will throw the ballast anddisposed to drop the ballast thrown from the digging means app'roximately at the ends of the ties.

13. Apparatus for digging ballast comprising a rockable carriage, meanssupporting the carriage for movement along a railroad trachway in adirection transverse ofthe ties, a prime mover carried by the carriage,and digging means driven by the prime mover including a wheel carri'edbythe-carriage and rotatable about an axis generally horizontaland'perpendicularto the planes of the sides of the-ties, and spaced,sturdy-,-roclc-- digging teeth moving around the axis of-the wheel andreceiving support fromsaid wheel, having faces, of substantial area,facing generally for-- wardly in the direction of their motion aroundthe axis of the wheel, having complete clearance between the teethupwardly from the path of their tips a substantial extent and followinga path of movement in a plane parallel to the sides of the ties adaptedto extend into and out from the ballast bed between the ties of arailroad track, said digging means being so constructed and rockablewith the carriage as to be adapted while in operating condition with themachine running to move down into ballast in the space between ties,clean the ballast from adjacent one tie, and then by movement of thecarriage transversely of the ties move through the ballast, digging theballast away as the movement continues, to another position adjacent thenext tie, and clean the ballast from adjacent the next tie; said teethbeing exposed for digging from each side with the exposed and generallyforwardly facing por tions of the sides extending outwardly far enoughto enable the digging means to dig its way through ballast in eitherdirection transversely of the ties and the teeth collectively having aspan across their bottoms as great as at any point within two inchesthereabove but substantially less than the ordinary spacing betweenties, and said carriage carrying suitable handle means remote from therunning wheels and beside the carriage inwardly of its end remote fromthe running wheels for being pushed along the track by' one man andbeing suitably balanced to be quickly rocked to lower the digging meansin the successive spaces between ties, and a guard aligned with saidwheel in the direction toward which the digging means will throw theballast but a sumcient distance from the running wheels so that theballast thrown by the digging means will drop in a desired position andnot roll back: adjacent the portion of the tie to be adzed.

14. Apparatus for digging ballast comprising a rochable carriage, meanssupporting the carriage for movement along a railroad traclcway in adirection transverse of the ties, a prime mover carried by the carriage,and digging means driven by the prime mover including awheel carried bythe carriage and rotatable about an axis gendigging teeth moving aroundthe axis of the wheel and receiving support from said wheeL} erallyhorizontal and perpendicular to the planes of the sides of the ties, andspaced, sturdy, roclc- 10 the axis, of the wheel, having completeclearanc between the teeth upwardly from the path of their, tipsasubstantial extent and following a path of movement in a plane parallelto the sides of the ties adapted to' extend into and-out from theballast bed between the ties of a railroad track, said digging meansbeing so constructed and workable with the carriage as to be adaptedwhilein operating condition with the machine running to move down intoballast in the space between ties, clean the ballast from adjacent onetie, and then by movement of the carriage transversely of theties movethrough the ballast, digging the ballast away as the movement con-'tinues, to ano'therposition adjacent the next tie, and clean the ballastfrom adjacent the next tie; said teeth being exposed for digging fromeach side with theexposed and'generally forwardly facingporti'ons of thesides extending outwardly far enough to enable the digging means to digits way through ballastin' either direction transversely "of the-tiesand the teeth collectively hav-' ing a span-'- across their bottoms asgreat as at any point'within two inches thereabove but sub stantiallyless than the ordinary spacing between ties, and said carriage carryingsuitable handle means remote from the running wheels and beside thecarriage inwardly of its end remote from the running wheels for beingpushed along the track by one man and being suitably balanced to bequickly rocked to lower the digging means in the successive spacesbetween ties, and a guard aligned with said wheel in the directiontoward which the'digging'm'eans'will throw the ballast but a sufiicientdistance from" the running wheels so that the ballast thrown by thedigging means will drop in a desired position and not roll back adjacentthe portion of the tie to be aclzed; said carriage being sounbalanced-that it normally rocks in a direction to raise the diggingmeans.

15. Apparatus for digging ballast comprising a rochable carriage, meanssupporting the carriage for movement along a railroad traclcway in adirection transverse of the ties, a prime mover carried by the carriage,and digging means driven by the prime mover including a wheel carried bythe carriage and rotatable about an axis generally horieontalandperpendicular to the planes of the sides of the ties, and spaced,sturdy, rochdigging teeth 'moving around the axis of the wheel andreceiving support from said wheel, having faces, of substantial area,facing generally forwardly in the direction of their motion around theaxis of the wheel, having complete clearance between the teeth upwardlyfrom the path of their tips a substantial extent and following a path ofmovement in a plane parallel to the sides of the ties adapted to extendinto and out from the ballast bed between the ties of a railroad track,said digging means being so constructed and rockable with the carriageas to be adapted while in operating condition with the machine runningto move down into ballast in the space between ties, clean the ballastfrom adjacent one tie, and then by movement of the carriage transverselyof the ties move through the ballast, digging the ballast away as themove ment continues, to another position adjacent the next tie, andclean the ballast from adjacent the next tie; said teeth being exposedfor digging from each side with the exposed and generally forwardlyfacing portions of the sides extending outwardly far enough to enablethe digging means to dig its way through ballast in either directiontransversely of the ties and the teeth collectively from the path oftheir tips a substantial extent and following a path of movement in aplane parallel to the sides of the ties adapted to extend into and outfrom the ballast bed between the ties of a railroad track, said diggingmeans being so constructed and rockable with the carriage as to beadapted while in operating condition with the machine running to movedown into ballast in the space between ties, clean the ballast fromadjacent one tie to form a shallow depression in the ballast at least 17inches along a tie, and then by movement of the carriage transversely ofthe ties move through the ballst, digging the ballast away as themovement continues, to another position adjacent the next tie, and cleanthe ballast from adjacent the next tie; said teeth being exposed fordigging from each side with the exposed and generall forwardly facingportions of the sides extending outwardly far enough to enable thedigging means to dig its way through ballast in either directiontransversely of the ties, and the digging portions of the teeth lyingwithin a zone substantially less than the ordinary spacing between ties,and stop means aligned with the digging means in the direction in whichballast is predominantly thrown thereby to drop the thrown ballast in adesired position.

19. Apparatus for digging ballast comprising a roclcable carriage, meanssupporting the carriage for movement along a railroad traclcway in adirection transverse of the ties, a prime mover carried by the carriage,and digging means driven by the prime mover including a wheel carried bythe carriage and rotatable about an axis generally horizontal andperpendicular to the planes of the sides of the ties, and spaced,sturdy, rock-digging teeth moving around the axis of the wheel andreceiving support from said wheel, having faces, of substantial area,facing generally forwardly in the direction of their motion around theaxis of the wheel, having complete clearance between the teeth upwardlyfrom the path of their tips a substantial extent and following a path ofmovement in a plane parallel to the sides of the ties adapted to extendinto and out from the ballast bed between the ties of a railroad track,said digging means being; so constructed and roclcable'with the carriageas to be adapted while in operating condition with the machine runningto move down into ballast in the space between ties, clean the ballastfrom adjacent one tie to form a shallow depression in the ballast atleast 17 inches along a tie, and then by movement of the carriagetransversely of the ties move through the ballast, digging the ballastaway as the movement continues, to another position adjacent the nexttie, and. clean the ballast from adjacent the next tie; said teeth beingexposed for digging from each side with the exposed and generallyforwardly facing portions of the sides extending outwardly far enough toenable the digging means to dig its way through ballast in eitherdirection transversely of the ties, and the digging portions of theteeth lying within a zone substantially less than the ordinary spacingbetween ties, and stop means aligned with the digging means in thedirection in which ballast is predominantly thrown thereby to drop thethrown ballast in a desired position, said stop means being carried bythe rocloable carriage and being yieldable along its lower portion topermit the digging wheel to press into the ballast.

EDWIN M. THORNLEY.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 306,755 Howard Oct. 21, 1884 720,841 Pawel Feb. 17, 1903892,056 Jackson June 30, 1908 954,863 Henderson Apr, 12, 1910 1,120,179Blevins Dec. 8, 1914 1,252,564 Geisler Jan. 8, 1918 1,300,064 WarrenApr. 8, 1919 1,427,516 Carmen Aug. 29, 1922 1,476,375 Shook Dec. 4, 19231,538,565 Loken May 19, 1925 1,762,441 Johnson June 10, 1930 1,820,636Talboys Aug. 25, 1931 2,207,854 Foreman et a1. July 16, 1940 2,254,742Humphrey Sept. 2, 1941 2,336,652 Talboys Dec. 14, 1943 2,463,499Thornley Mar. 1, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 15.839 GreatBritain Dec. 24, 1885

